Stretching the potential of Building Information Modeling to the construction site and beyond

BIM is often perceived as the holy grail for construction practice. In a fragmented industry of conflicting interests, proprietary file formats and misunderstanding using BIM can still lead to data loss and frustration.

However, the potential of using open standards and complementary BIM-tools in collaborative design is increasingly being realized.

Stretching the potential of BIM to the construction site and beyond is our next objective, and we start today!

In Built2Spec we use the information in BIM to check whether the as-built situation complies with the design – not just after the project is delivered but also during the construction process.

Relevant information from the BIM is made available on-site. This information is compared to what the user can see, measure and test with the exciting technologies that are developed in Built2Spec. We will use the open BIM-dataformat IFC and the BIMserver platform as the basis to develop interfaces with various other data formats (e.g. sensor data, measurement data, images).

 

Outcomes

From BIM to Passive House design tool PHPP

To allow data transfer from BIM models into tools for energy balance calculation and efficiency design such as the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), Passive House Institute has developed an interface, the so called bim2PH concept.

Rea more

  • Check whether the as-built situation complies with the design
  • During the construction process and after the project
  • Relevant information available on-site
Building Information Modeling © OHL
Interview on BIM with Built2Spec partners Léon van Berlo and Tim Dijkmans (TNO)

Use of BIM technology for self-inspection and quality checks

The project partners developed advanced techniques for Thermal Imaging, Airtightness, Indoor Air Quality and Acoustic testing. These tests may use input from a BIM dataset to perform measurements, and should be able to link results to objects in a BIM dataset.

BIM stands for ‘Building Information Management’ and is about modelling a building in terms of data (object, relations, properties, etc.). With the uptake of BIM, the building industry is changing from a paper-driven industry to a data-driven industry. One goal of Built2Spec and the content of this report is “to make BIM technologically ready for self-inspection and quality checks”.

This report serves as basis to develop the detailed process steps for self-inspection and quality checks that a site worker and site supervisor would follow to acquire the data needed to automatically generate project files and reports which demonstrate compliance with the relevant standards, specifications and regulations.

 

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